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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26390446">Scary Games to Play in the Dark</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkedEevee/pseuds/InkedEevee'>InkedEevee</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Cookie Run (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Angels, Demons, F/F, F/M, Fallen Angels, Friendship, Heaven, Heaven &amp; Hell, Hell, How Do I Tag, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Trust Issues</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-10-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:01:06</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>10,340</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26390446</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/InkedEevee/pseuds/InkedEevee</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>- Ships aren't the main focus of this fic!!</p><p>Hell.</p><p>This place was Hell.</p><p>Staring at dead bodies, Sparkling slowly walks back inside, closing the door behind him and sliding down the door, his hand running through his hair.</p><p>Stupid. They couldn't escape the Hunters. They take an Earthling life, but can't bother trying to escape.</p><p>Hell.</p><p>This place was Hell.</p><p>And Sparkling was an inhabitant, narrowly escaping death each waking moment.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Fire Spirit Cookie/Wind Archer Cookie (Cookie Run), Mint Choco Cookie/Sparkling Cookie (Cookie Run), Other Relationship Tags to Be Added</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>24</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Prologue/Chapter One</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I'm DESPERATELY trying to avoid anything to do with the hellfire that is religion so if things are worded weird, I apologize!</p><p>If you see any grammar mistakes, please point them out! I don't have anyone to proofread this.</p><p>I kept both the "Prologue" and "Chapter One" in there since I combined them into one, so that's intentional.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <b> <em>Prologue - Sparkling </em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>A quiet room. The sound of cards shuffling. Two chairs.</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> "Let's play." </em>
</p><p> </p><p>An invitation.</p><p> </p><p>Sparkling smiles to himself, walking past the human. He sees them shiver—fear taking over their body. He chuckles, sitting in front of them—even if they couldn't see. Examining the cards, he quirks a brow. "Poker, huh?" He murmurs, looking back up at the person.</p><p> </p><p>They appeared to be female, their hair mostly shaved off as well as dyed blue. Green eyes stare at the cards, shaky breath in; a shaky breath out. "Come on, now~" Sparkling hums, his fingers trailing along the edge of the table. "I'm here. <em> Let's. Play."  </em></p><p> </p><p>The game began; the female shaking so much, quiet apologies spilling from her mouth whenever she fumbled with a card. From what Sparkling could tell, she did know how to play poker. She was quite quick, knowing exactly what to do. Being in the presence of a spirit might just be… well, Sparkling had to assume he would be feeling the same thing if their positions were switched. Though, he was human once, so he understood. Sparkling watches as the girl plays for him, a smile dancing across his face at her panic. He's winning, he's currently winning. This girl was going to be his. He licks his lips, enjoying the feeling as the girl's breath hitches with the last move. "No. No, please. I need the luck. I need—"</p><p> </p><p>Sparkling stands up and grabs the collar of her shirt with one hand and slaps his other hand over her mouth, silencing her scream. He watches as her eyes widen, making him smile. His black eyes widen, dark green iris' staring into the girls' murky green eyes. "You should have played at your own risk." He purrs, slamming her down. Another loud, muffled scream escapes her as Sparkling smirks, eyes bright. He <em> lives </em>for this. "Let's go."</p><p> </p><p>Muffled screams. Begs for help, for mercy. Carelessly, Sparkling throws the girl into the back room of his home. Decrepit bodies, some rotting, some freshly dead. The smell—to humans, it would be wretched. To Sparkling? The smell's delicious, as if he was back on Earth and his little sister just got done baking some brownies. His hand dances across the bindings of the girl, smiling as he pulls away. "Thank you for playing with me. I was needing a new body." He watches her, gag keeping her noises muffled. Sparkling chuckles, poking her cheek before walking to the door in the room, giving her a smile and a wink."Good night." He purrs, closing the door. He was home. The male changes, his clothes now showing him as a bartender, his dark green suspenders holding his outfit together, the gold-bits casting a reflection as Sparkling glances behind him.</p><p> </p><p>A man in the Mirror.</p><p> </p><p><b><em>Paranormal - A class of demon (or Lost Souls is what they're called in the story to avoid ~religion~)</em></b> <b><em>, they are known to be ruthless and are the highest level demon. They take interest in Earthlings and are known to be summoned by them for "games", or " rituals"—anything. Though, playing with these demons can lead to anything—death is the most likely option…</em></b></p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>One - following Sparkling / explanation of world</em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em> "So, you know how Angel is down here?" </em>
</p><p> </p><p>The voice echoes in his head. Sparkling nods, back facing the mirror as he fluffs his hair up in a different reflection. <em> "Well, apparently they found our dad. I don't know what I'm gonna do now—like fuck. What do I do? What if—" </em>Sparkling looks over, his dark green gaze set on the man in the mirror. "Devil." He interrupts, the telepathy, Devil stopping. Despite not seeing Devil's eyes, Sparkling could feel their gaze on him. "You don't need to visit your father if you don't want to. No one is forcing you. Just as no one forced you to do what you did to be forced down here."</p><p> </p><p>Sparkling's gaze turns back to his rusty gold shaker as he pours more into the shaker before hitting the top and dry shaking. "I hope you understand this. If not, you still have much to learn." He murmurs, eyes casting a glance at the man in the mirror.</p><p> </p><p>
  <b> <em>(Game) Devil; The Devil's Game. A game played in a, usually abandoned, empty church. Where the player speaks with the Devil and asks one another questions. </em> </b>
</p><p> </p><p>Now, here, Devil wasn't exactly trapped in a mirror, no no, they just chose to be in it. Easy transportation, Devil would always say. From one mirror to the next; just blink an eye, and Devil would be there, or be gone. Easy as one… two…</p><p> </p><p>…three.</p><p> </p><p>Sparkling pours the cocktail out as he sips some, dark eyes glaring harshly at the teenager. "Will you pardon my rudeness, I have to open my bar once more for the night. I see fit that you have games to play and people to kill. There <em> are </em>over four billion people still alive on the planet… one must be calling you, no?" He trudges past the mirror, flipping the sign on the bar. "Just because we belong here doesn't mean we have to stop, or end, the lives we had when living. Or, at least, that's what I tell myself. Why else would I continue with my daily activities?" Slowly walking back to the bar, he gives Devil one more look. "So, dearest Devil, will you exit the mirror, or stay in and go elsewhere? I don't need you taking up my time, this is very important business. Even I have… needs… I need to put into place." Sparkling glances at the mirror. Devil smiles, slowly backing away as the mirror fades, slowly rippling like water as normal reflections come back into view. They eft; Devil was no more… for now.</p><p> </p><p>They usually came back, seeing as Sparkling <em> was </em>the first being they met down here. It was as if they knew he would be there for them. Devil and their sibling.</p><p> </p><p>Though, their companionship wasn't the only reason they stuck together. Devil and Sparkling were somewhat close, their love for gambling also bringing them together. Both played against each other, in certain games, Devil would win; but with almost any card game, Sparkling would win. Card games are Sparkling's thing, anyway. He could even beat Cinnamon and Princess at them, so he had high pride when it came to his playing skills. Gambling with life and death… a smirk dances onto his face, but he knew one thing;</p><p> </p><p>He was foolish.</p><p> </p><p>His world, <em> this </em>world: the ones that kill are hunted, always hunted. Not by The Apex, no, he himself is even hunted by them. What is he hunted by?... Well, a rundown is necessary, isn't it?:</p><p> </p><p>Once someone dies, three "roads" await; layers of "Heaven" <b>(the highest, or the best, is commonly known as, "Dove Centre"),</b> Spirit Realm, and layers of "Hell" <b>(the worst, or the lowest, is commonly known as, "Vixens Cry".).</b> Sometimes, depending on the life lead, they get the choice; they can choose. Other times, however, one road is blocked; usually either Dove Centre or Vixens Cry. Spirit Realm is always open, always a second choice… most of the time.</p><p> </p><p>Sparkling clenches his shaker as he listens to the deafening silence, the reminder of when <em> both </em>roads have been closed off. When he stood, one crumbling so he was unable to even go on the path—and the other?—...obscured by layers and layers of debris. Towering over, tempting fate; he had climbed. Climbed and climbed. He didn't deserve the fate thrust upon him by those called The Council, those who named themselves Leaders of the New World.</p><p> </p><p>Yet, one wrong footing, and the pile fell. There, he crashed into a world of demons and devils—evil, malicious spirits. Into a world he would never see a friendly face again. Into a world where he'd never be able to see his mother or father, into a world where he'd never be able to see his little sister. Into a world he deemed <em> unfair. Unjust. Cruel. </em>Into a world where he sought revenge—and revenge never tasted so… sweet. Unneeded, unknown. Sparkling finishes his alcohol, putting the glass in the sink before serving some patrons that have walked in. He recognized few regulars, giving them a signature smile and, as per usual, their first drink was on him. Of course, one look at him could have anyone see; he was being observant, he was watching his back.</p><p> </p><p>When <em> they </em>find out someone was killed… he knew there'd be a knock on his door, and eventually that door would be broken down. And, if he wasn't quick enough, Sparkling would be slaughtered.</p><p> </p><p>With all of these in the back of his mind, the comfort of talking patrons and the sound of his shaker borough him back to a simpler time, when he didn't always need to watch his back, when he wasn't dead. When he still had his mother, father, and sister. When he still had everything in his hands…</p><p> </p><p>"No," Sparkling mutters to himself. "You've been here for over a hundred years. You're fine. Just ignore your memories." Though, everyone down here knew it. They knew that ignoring, or better yet: erasing, your memories was your best intention, those who Hunt use them against the Hunted. It didn't matter if you were even a child down here—no matter who you were, everyone that was deemed a Paranormal was always hunted. Not a single one was spared. When it came to the Hunted… too many have been killed, yet they, the Hunters, never cared. It's why so many, just like Sparkling, have decided to let go of their former emotions and friendships.</p><p> </p><p>Down here, having friends wasn't normal. Those with close bonds were seen as weak. Though, then again… Sparkling did miss the comfort of his old pals, he had to admit. He didn't even know if any of them were down here, but a part of him hopes they found their way into the Dove's Centre. <em> A morbid thought, </em> Sparkling told himself, but a thought nonetheless. "Just focus," he grunts to himself. "Later tonight there's a concert. You'll be free to have your thoughts run wild then." He relaxes, breathing out. "Just wait some more."</p><p> </p><p>There was no concept of time in Vixen's Cry. No hours, no minutes, no seconds, the sky was always a dark color, but depending where you lived in the Vixens Cry, the sky could be three different colors. The only way some were able to tell time here; most are summoned at night, but even that doesn't help.</p><p> </p><p>The Earth, one part of the world, it would be morning.</p><p> </p><p>The other part of the world, it would be night.</p><p> </p><p>Time was meaningless here, anyway.</p><p> </p><p>Most were busy at "night" being toyed with, but some were able to make schedules. Such as with a certain someone; that being having the name Mint Choco, or just Mint for short. The male walks, showing a card to some bodyguards at the back entrance as they move, the gambler walking in. He enters a room having the males' name, and when he walks in the violinist pauses, but almost immediately smiles.</p><p> </p><p>"Hey, Mint, I'm here."</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter Two</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>"Hey, Mint. I'm here."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Mint smiles as he waves, standing up and giving the male a handshake. If Sparkling was close to being friends with anyone; it was Mint. Mint had a loveable character, he seemed to be pretty harmless, so Sparkling didn't know why he was in the Vixen's Cry. He was a simple violinist, he didn't know much about him. Though… he gave Sparkling a vibe he didn't know. He couldn't understand the other, his aura wasn't the same as the others he's met. It was… strange. Mint was strange. He didn't show hostility unlike most, he didn't curse or fight anyone. He... didn't act right for someone who lived in the Vixen's Cry, he acted the complete opposite. Though, he was the same in one way.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He avoided the Hunters. He was still apart of the Hunted.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He was also commonly seen with who appeared to be a teen, couldn't be younger than fourteen, but certainly not over twenty. Mint always walked beside this young one, but it wasn't known why. Was he a protector? Was he being </span>
  <em>
    <span>protected? </span>
  </em>
  <span>The questions pile up, and even when asked, Mint would only smile and change the topic. Though, Mint could be seen without the young one, the young one was never seen without Mint.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>To the public eye, at least.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sparkling saw them. Once.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The young one was sitting on a barstool, yet the bar was closed. Door locked. Windows were impossible to open. Sparkling remembers staring at the young one, mouth agape. The young one had a glass of water and finished it, setting it down with some black coins before hopping down and went into a broom closet. Sparkling ran over, pried the door open not even ten seconds after the other walked onto it and... the young one was gone. No trace from them, except for those coins and the empty cup.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Mint? Can I ask you a question?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>(Paranormal) Mint Choco: Mint Choco, or more commonly called Mint, is a violinist. His soft color palette makes him differ from those in the Vixen's Cry. He is calm, sweet, and patient—heavily differing from others. He looks like a normal Earthling, minus the blacked-out eyes, making the citizens wonder how he is down here. Two markings are visible on him; an eye on his right ear and, what Mint has called, the "Solar Cross" plastered on his left eye. It's unknown if these are tattoos.</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Mint chuckles, giving the gambler a warm smile. "Of course! But I have my concert in ten minutes, so I do hope it won't take long." Mint explains, holding his violin in a gentle manner, his eyes soft and full of joy, a carefree smile on his face. To this, Sparkling sighs and rubs the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact with the soft green eyes of the other.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>For some reason, staring into Mint's eyes always gave Sparkling a headache.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Okay, well, that young Paranormal you're always with. Do they travel in a special way? They were in my bar, despite it being locked." Sparkling explains, Mint pausing as a small frown forms on his face, clearly displeased by what Sparkling said.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I'll talk to—"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sparkling shakes his head, his hands raising to stop Mint from speaking more. "No no, it's fine! I just want to know how they got in." He replies, brow quirked as Mint bites his thumb, eyes downcast as he shakes his head slightly. Mint glances back to Sparkling, a  small on his features before he closes his eyes, the smile staying. "Still would be good to talk to the little one. I'll make sure they don't—"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>A call of "<em>Mint Choco"</em> comes from the back as the violinist perks up and looks behind him, his lips slightly parting before Mint looks back over at Sparkling, a soft laugh leaving him. "We can continue this later, I need to go play. Goodbye!" And, before Sparkling could reject, he watches as Mint runs off and disappears behind the curtain.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sparkling sighs, shaking his head as he turns around—</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And jumps out of his skin.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There, standing maybe two and a half feet away, was the young Paranormal the two had been discussing. Sparkling pauses, opting to get a good look at them;</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Their hair was dark, roots black but other parts of their hair was darkened colors of yellow, blue, purple, and pink.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Simple black, empty sockets stare into Sparkling's dark green ones.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Black seemed to be a common theme; black, around their empty sockets, black on their elblows, their skin tone slowly mixing with their black elbows and knees, and their hands and feet black.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Their shirt was dirty, more dirty than it probably should have been. Sparkling could tell there was bloodstains, but other dark stains he couldn't place—it was basically impossible to tell what shirt they had on due to how heavily stained it was. Over the shirt was a black vest, also stained. Their jeans weren't as stained the other two articles of clothing, yet still had stains.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Well, better time than any to talk—from where he was, he could still hear Mint's music.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey," Sparkling crouches down to be the size of the other. "Do you have a name you would like to be called?" He asks, trying to copy what Mint does, which is making himself soft and vulnerable. He watches as they step away, slight fear dances onto their face, yet nothing leaves them. Sparkling sighs, shaking his head before asking something else. "How did you get into my bar?" To this, the Paranormal, cautiously, points to a random door. Sparkling bites his lip in confusion, looking back at them with a confused expression. "Can you travel like Devil can?" A look of visible confusion dances onto their face, making Sparkling softly laugh. "No matter. But why did you come to my bar for wat—"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Rotten…"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"...what?" Sparkling blinks, unsure if he imagined it or if the small one spoke. "...water at home… is rotten. Sick. Sticky." The Paranormal even </span>
  <em>
    <span>sounded </span>
  </em>
  <span>young. There was a hint of what sounded like a young males' voice, but Sparkling pushes the thought away. "Water... not good. Some dumped bodies… glass… some just rotten, discolored. Water... impure. Nasty."  The young Paranormal seems to cringe in place. "Thirsty… blood. Humans who come through...rotten. Bar… means drinks. Drinks...thirst…" </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sparkling frowns. He didn't know why the other couldn't have anything to drink, the water in the Vixen's Cry wasn't exactly </span>
  <em>
    <span>rotten, </span>
  </em>
  <span>or </span>
  <em>
    <span>impure, </span>
  </em>
  <span>but it wasn't exactly filtered. And no humans came by at all, Hunters did, though. "Hey… where are you from?" He tries to keep his voice gentle. "It's clear here isn't your home." A small nod leaves the Paranormal. "Home… is City. Home is dark. The home has no light. Home... isn't truly a home, merely… a place to stay." Sparkling frowns. "So why do you hang around Mint? What's up with that?" </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Mint... is good. No eyes... blind…" The Paranormal sits on the floor, staring into the nothingness. "Mint... can see. Guides me. World... scary... don't understand…" With a gentle hand, Sparkling reaches out and cups the younger ones' cheek. "How is someone like you down here?" His voice held sympathy and pain. What did this young child do to deserve this fate?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>For a moment, it was silent. For a moment, there was peace.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>For a moment, Sparkling let his guard down.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>And, for that moment, everything got destroyed.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Screaming came from behind them as he whips, eyes wide before he runs out onto the stage beside Mint, the softer footsteps of the other Paranormal being heard. Though, Sparkling didn't pay attention to that.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There, in the sky, were five figures.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>With wings and halos. With weapons of their own choosing.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"It's the Hunters!"</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>No.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"Run!"</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span>The people in the crowd make a mad dash, Mint, who seemed to have an expression akin to anger, grabs the young Paranormal by their shirt collar before sprinting off in a different direction, all while S</span>parkling never broke eye contact with them.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was when he felt something drag him, and he let his mind and thoughts return to the world they were forced to live in, and he felt himself running in the direction he was being pulled before looking at the one who had grabbed him, and Mint, who seemed to talking to himself.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Of course she's here."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Of course she's the one who left..."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span>He blinks, looking at the one who even had grabbed him; the</span> blind Paranormal.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His eyes widen, but before he can say anything, the young Paranormal opens a random door and the world is thrown into blackness.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <strong>Hunters: Hunters are equipped with weapons to kill Paranormals, they come at random times and usually don't leave until their mission is complete or their white robes are drenched with red. They have three pairs of wings. Each Hunter has a distinctive feature,  one having green hair resembling...</strong>
  </em>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter Three</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>In this, I try and bring in elements of the Championship League, but I don't know if I succeeded. It'll be a pretty big part of the story, so if I don't get it right in this chapter, then I'll get it right eventually</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"We can continue this later. I need to go play. Goodbye!"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mint Choco rushes away, in the corner of his eye he did see his baby come through a storage closet, clearly hesitant. That means Sparkling would see them alone, and he hopes to any God out there that DJ wouldn't do anything to scare off Sparkling. He wanted to protect DJ from other Paranormals—they... They just weren't like them. That... Man, monster, being, whatever that was who followed in DJ's shadow. A danger to others, as well as Mint himself. At least he <em> understood </em>the danger. No one else did.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Poor kid was a danger to themselves.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mint shakes his head, the curtains opening as he gets into position, his bow moving effortlessly across the strings. He had to make everyone have a good time to forget that they were what some people called, "The Layer Below Hell". Where the worst Lost Souls get sent.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> 'Pfft, what a waste of time.' </em>Mint smiles, glancing down at his violin as the bow glides effortlessly across the…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>...organs…</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Pure failures.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A soft laugh leaves him as he closes his eyes and smiles, the visions of blood dousing the violin, the screams—</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Screams?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Actual screams filled his ears, his violin drowned out by them, and his ears pick up on a gasp from Sparkling. Mint opens his eyes, glaring daggers at them. <em> 'Hunters… must you ruin my show? How rude of you. And here, I thought I was going to have a nice time. Ah well, you win some, you lose some. You, though,' </em> Mint locks eyes with one of them before he looks behind him, DJ looking up at the sky as his lips from a straight line. <em> 'I'll deal with her later. And, DJ, unable to see, yet they understand the sky is dangerous.'  </em> A smile dances onto his face as he nods to himself, grabbing DJ's hand. And, from the corner of his eye, he watches as DJ grabs Sparkling. <em> 'What a good child. You wanna help protect the—what did you call him? "Waterman"?  What a good, good child. You've been taking the training very well.' </em>He chuckles, letting go of DJ as the dark-skinned Paranormal's free hand grabs the handle to the door, a random door, and throws it open, the three running in the room together.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The world around them goes into nothing but darkness.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He already knows the drill.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>An eye for the light.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Just like...old...times…</p>
<p> </p>
<p><em> Heavy breathing, Mint continues to run, those above him screech. "Darn—these guys never quit, don't they?" Annoyance paints the violinists' face as he takes a sharp turn. "I need to find somewhere they won't get me. Who the hell even wants to ruin a violin concert? Is it because the violin is the Devil's Instrument? Rude." His angry huff fills his ears as he skids to a stop, hiding under a pile of boxes. Listening closely, he makes sure that the Hunters left. After, he leaves the pile of boxes and slowly walks away, making sure to stay in the shadows. "This life is so difficult. What did I do to get down here again? I can barely remember. I remember what the Earthlings deemed "Hell", but I can't... remember my </em> <b> <em>life. </em> </b> <em> Is that pathetic?" He questions, sighing. "I need to find someplace to crash. The studio is too long of a walk,"  he never expected life to be this crazy. He assumed death would have been peaceful. But no. </em></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Stupid morbid curiosity. </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Morbid… </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em> Curios… </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Mint?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A small gasp left Mint, looking up. Sparkling and DJ stare down at him, giving them a smile he laughs. Standing up, he dusts himself off as he looks at the two. "Hello! DJ, approximately how long has it been?" He questions, ignoring how the blonde Paranormal seemingly gawks at how he addressed the youngest one in the room. "Prox...mmm…." DJ seems to peer out a window, barely any light coming from it. "Twenty minutes in the normal realm."  DJ answers, their empty sockets looking back at Mint. The violinist happily claps his hands. "Good! Ten more and we can go back. Do you think you can drop Sparkling off at his bar?" He asks, DJ nodding slightly. "Okay." They answer, their voice soft as ever.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mint looks out the window, the apartment they were in barely had any light. "Sparkling, are you fine with that?" He asks, looking at the Paranormal. Sparklinb blinks, nodding. "Hey... Just in case the Hunters are still out and about, you guys can stay. Have something to drink?" He offers, Mint nodding. "DJ, do you want some water?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A giggle and nod. Sparkling smiles, making Mint smile. "Come on. We have a bit more time. Come on, let's sit." He pats the spot next to him, Sparkling joining the two. "Time passes differently here. I have to keep trying to remember this. A different plane of existence from our own, that isn't the one you and I normally go to, how exciting; right, Sparkling?" Mint purrs happily, laughing softly. "Yeah, yeah. It's cool, I guess. This doesn't mean anything." Sparkling murmurs as a snort escapes DJ.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Like any other Paranormal. Heccin.. heccin… uh…" DJ snaps their claws and bites their lip as Mint looks over.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Selfish?" He muses as a loud <em>"hey!"</em> leaves Sparkling.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Yep." DJ muses, giggling some more. "Who're you calling selfish?!" Sparkling barks, making both DJ and Mint laugh. "Well, you're acting like being nice will kill you. Relax~. In this world, something else will kill you before being nice does." Mint teases, poking the bartender's cheek.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Wait, what?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"This is my home. You don't deserve explanation, but know that there are dangerous monsters here, " DJ speaks clearly, Sparkling's dark green eyes taking interest. "There's one rule here for those that are not inhabitants: if you see them, or hear them, run."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b> <em>(Paranormal) DJ: DJ has two twintails that are dark-colored, their skin has black patches as well as blackness on their hands, feet, and around the eyes. Two purple horns resembling bear ears are on their head, but according to Mint, DJ doesn't like them being touched. Little is known about DJ, but they're only seen with Mint and only Mint. From what people know, and the little things Mint has said, DJ can be somewhat playful, but being around other Paranormals makes them shy and scared.</em> </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"It's common knowledge, really." Mint hums, his violin bow tapping gently on the ground. "This place is a danger. It's why so little people know of it. Oh well, it's for the better." Mint stands up, nodding at DJ. "We have about two minutes, shall we go?" DJ jumps up as Sparkling nods, standing up and dusting himself off. DJ grabs the handle of a heavily rusted door before turning it, the same black abyss welcoming them as he takes Mint's hand and Sparkling's, the Paranormal runs into the abyss, dragging the other two behind.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The darkness and foul smell of the area disappeared and was soon replaced by light and the smell of alcohol and wood. Mint glances over at Sparkling, the male stretching as he walks behind his bar and pulls out a bottle of water for DJ and seems to wiggle his brows at the violinist, Mint softly laughing as he walks over and sits down. "I'm not much of a drinker. So, please, nothing too hard." He requests as Sparkling nods. "Of course~" he hums, grabbing stuff off the shelf as Mint looks around.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The bar was cozy—though, he doubted Sparkling lived here. It'd probably be too dangerous, and you can't exactly trust everyone down here. Sparkling slides a drink to Mint, the violinist giving a soft smile and taking a sip, the slight burn wasn't very homey, Mint had to admit. He ignores it, the smell of wood filling his senses as DJ was happily humming with their water. Mint glances away, eyes softening as he scans each and every part of the bar. His eyes land on something glittery and gold, his eyes widening.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A medal; Sparkling, like almost every other demon, participated in the yearly Lost Souls Rank Kings and Queens. He was in the third semifinals, seeing as the medal was gold. The Lost Souls Rank Kings and Queens, or LSRKQ for short, is for the empty souls that want some action. Sometimes fellow citizens of the Vixen's Cry would die in the LSRKQ, seeing as <em> "Lost Souls" </em> would fight each other, and maybe kill. There weren't any rules besides you can only harm the other entity in the arena.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And that's what differentiates the two sub species of the Vixen's Cry. "Lost Souls" and Paranormals.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Lost Souls" have to <em> stay </em>in the Vixen's Cry, they are unable to leave, giving them no paranormal abilities.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Paranormal's <em> can </em>leave, and do so to gather more power. The more Earthlings they kill, the more powerful they become.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>And the more Earthlings they kill?</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The more likely they'd be to be apart of the Hunted.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mint's head tilts, looking at the plaques on the wall then back to Sparkling. Mint notices all the gold on Sparkling's person—the buttons on his suspenders, the gold cocktail shaker, the bowtie—even one of Sparkling's horns seemed to be pure gold. He seemed to always be a gold champion.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Unless you ignore the ruby earrings.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>He didn't even have a plaque. And ruby was only given out by becoming a ruby champion. The only one that was known for stealing medals was Rougefort, but they never really stole for anyone else. Quirking a brow, Mint blinks as another drink gets pushed to him. "Thank you. Can I ask you a question, Sparkling?... Why do you have ruby earrings?" He asks, upon seeing Sparkling nod. The bartender seemed to freeze in place as he sighs.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"I was a ruby champion once. I didn't like being up there with those... others. So I stay at gold. I like gold, anyway. It's pretty."  Sparkling explains, putting his shaker gently on the side. Mint nods, drinking some of his beverage. He didn't know <em> what </em>he was drinking—he didn't know alcohol. "Thinking about it,"  Mint looks at him, seeing Sparkling's eyes narrowed. "I don't think I've ever seen you at LSRKQ. Why is that?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A long sigh escapes Mint. "I have no need to fight to show power. I know how strong I am, and I'm far too busy. The only reason I have free time now is because we were almost killed by Hunters—they interrupted my show." Mint explains, sending a small glance to DJ. He looks down to DJ's shadow before back to his baby, sighing. "And even DJ isn't in the LSRKQ. They'd get hurt. They're too young." Mint murmurs, sending a glance to DJ once more.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"So <em> that's </em> why people assume you're weak. You never show off your powers or even show that you <em> have </em>powers." Mint smirks as he watches Sparkling pause. "Do... you even have powers?" The blonde asks, a playful laugh escaping Mint. "Maybe I do. Maybe I don't. It doesn't matter." Mint muses as he sips his drink, watching as an annoyed expression appears on Sparkling's face. "Sparkling," Mint hums, finishing his drink, "do you believe in Magic?"</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Magic?" The bartender blinks, as if he's surprised by the question. "What do I look like, a toddler? I'm twenty-five years old, even more so if you count the years spent here." He scoffs, annoyance in his voice. Mint hums once more, stretching before tapping DJ's shoulder, who had finished their water to bring them back to reality, as they were staring off in space. "Are you ready to go?" He asks, DJ nodding. Mint gives DJ a warm smile, ruffling their hair before casting a glance at Sparkling. "Sparkling, you should be more open-minded. Who knows what wonders you'll have once you open your mind, and even your heart?" Mint purrs, reaching over and poking his cheek. "Everyone here does. They all need to just open their eyes, open their minds, and open their hearts. Once you, and every other Lost Soul here realize that, you'll find that victory isn't too far away."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Mint gives a smile to Sparkling, and before the bartender could react, Mint grabs DJ's hand and walks out of the establishment with them. "The Hunters seemed to have departed already," Mint hums out to DJ, who only nods. "Can we go get ice cream?" They ask, Mint smiling. "Of course!~ Anything for you. But then we gotta go back home, okay? It's been an eventful day for you, don't you agree? You need to go home and take a nap." A cheerful, <em>"mhmm!"</em> leaves DJ, making Mint smile. The two walk, the silence of the street filling the air. Not a single soul spoke. With a smile, Mint looks back to Sparkling's bar, that was now fading in the distance.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>"Men and their fragile masculinities…" Mint laughs softly to himself, looking forward. "One day, it'll break. Hopefully, before then, he'd lower his walls to me. That's the only choice I have. I'll make him remember, even if it's the last thing I do."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>In this, Mint says, "taking training very well", which isn't anything bad. Think of training a dog to listen to the command, "no". Mint's trying to make DJ more normal. <br/>Another thing about DJ, lore-based, is that the story they're based on has three beings you meet; two children and an adult. Not want to make DJ a literal child, they're instead a teenager.<br/>This goes for any other character, (I.e. Devil and Angel are both more "grown up" due to what games/rituals they're based on) but hopefully that makes sense!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter Four</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>While editing, I realized there wasn't much story progression, so I added to it. I mainly wanted to add more main characters to the story, so this chapter will be filled with more lore about the most mysterious character in the story.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <em>
    <span>"You have been invited to the annual LSRKQ"</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Same letter as always.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sparkling looks back to the one sitting in his bar before closing, the cloaked figure reading the letter before looking up. "Doesn't The Apex always win?" They ask, Sparkling giving a nod. "Yeah, I've almost fought against him. But I rather not get paralyzed, you know?" Sparkling replies back to them, looking up. The figure hid any features that could identify them, their gloved hand tapping on the bar. "I say unfair. The Apex is always the winner, why even try?" Their voice rasps out, Sparkling nodding in agreement. "Although… you could stand a chance. Those little dice of yours, Sparkling, aren't they miniature bombs?" They ask, Sparkling silently taking a glance at a die on the shelf behind him. "... They are, yes. But you have to understand, I don't get to pick the intensity of the explosion. Chance, or fate, does."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>Die/Dice (Weapon): Used by Sparkling, his dice are able to explode depending on what they land on. The weakest explosion can be (using only a single die) one, while the most powerful (using only a single die) can be six. Add in the second die, the numbers multiply by two. He is known to carry up to three pairs of dice (six in total) on him at all times.</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Still so. Can't you blind him with those?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I would, Stranger, but you don't understand The Apex's reflexes. It's insane. It's like he has eyes all over his body—"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sparkling stops. He gives </span>
  <em>
    <span>"Stranger" </span>
  </em>
  <span>an apathetic look. "No offense." He murmurs, a simple "none taken" escaping them. "But, even if I did try to blind him, if the explosion is low, then he won't be affected. If the explosion is high, then I blind it temporarily and end up facing terrible wrath after. It's not exactly a win-win situation, Stranger." He explains, looking up at them as they slowly nod. "Yeah… I don't participate in it, unless Devil asks. Most of the time, I just go to cheer them on." They take a sip of their wine, Sparkling blinking.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"I have no need to fight to show power. I know how strong I am,"</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The words echo in Sparkling's head, the male slowly reaching over to the paper as he looks over it one more time, his ruby earrings clicking against his bottom horns.  "What's your reason, Stranger?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Hm?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Your reason for not participating."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Stranger seems to pause, their finger tapping stops. "I'm just not powerful. I mean, I don't even have any powers besides teleportation. It's useless in the Arena." Stranger glances up at Sparkling. "You, though? What's your reason for wanting to participate? Is it seeing those on the floor, either bleeding or begging for mercy?" Stranger tilts their head back, enough for a smile to be seen in the bar lights. "I've seen your expression, Sparking. You live for hurting people, like every single other Lost Soul down here. You've killed other Souls down here, and you never once show mercy. It makes me wonder," Stranger shakes their head. "Why did you save us? We were in your territory. It makes me realize; you have a soft spot. It's been years since what happened, happened. My sibling and I were still young back then, thirteen. And you took us in. Is that why you never face off against younger Souls? You have a soft spot for children, or maybe just minors in general. Why is that?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sparkling stares at Stranger, his dark green eyes not moving. "I have—or...had… a little sister. She was the light of my life. I guess I'm still not over being able to protect her." He replies briskly, grabbing a rag and wiping his bar down. The Stranger laughs, clearly being able to see that it wasn't all. There were more. "Why I choose to spare children is, or at the very least should be, no concern to you. I don't spare all kids, so minor isn't the right word." He explains, finally breaking eye contact as he stretches, grabbing some bottles of alcohol and putting them in the shaker. "Do you want it on the rocks?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"... Sure, Sparkling. Sure."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Stranger smiles, watching Sparkling work as the ruby earrings glitter in the light, the two wing-shaped earrings usually clinking with his gold hoop earrings or his horns. As they stare, Stranger lets out a snort, blinking. "Would you ever try and get higher than ruby? I know you're strong enough to. Your power is amazing." Stranger speaks, their eyes dancing over Sparkling's figure. He watches as Sparkling pauses, glancing over to him with a somewhat annoyed expression. "Why are you so interested in my abilities?" He asks, causing Stranger to shrug. "You're the first Paranormal to have more than one game." Stranger informs, Sparkling scoffing. "It's just three. You're making it sound like I have five, but I only have three games I play with Earthlings, and two are essentially the same thing." He informs, a frown on his face as Sparkling seems to glance away, showing that he was uncomfortable with the topic.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"But it's enough, if you ask me." </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"What?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sparkling rubs his neck. "You and Devil are the only ones that know of the "triple-game" thing. Not even Princess or Cinnamon know about it." Sparkling replies smoothly, pouring Stranger's drink, Stranger humming, yet not saying anything. "Stranger," Sparkling begins, catching their attention. "... Do you believe in Magic?" He asks, wearily looking at them. Stranger doesn't move, nor do they speak. The two Souls stare at one another, Sparkling shaking his head. "Nevermind, stupid quest—"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"... That depends. What Magic are we talking about?" They ask as Sparkling freezes in place, blinking rapidly before licking across his snake bite piercings. "I was at Mint Choco's violin concert. Long story short, Hunters came and we were at my bar with the child he's always with. And… he asked me that. Asked me if I believed in Magic." Sparkling explains, brows furrowing. "I have yet to understand why he asked."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Maybe due to us being magic?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sparkling pauses, face contorting to confusion. "Care to explain?" He asks, Stranger smiling as they nod;</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"What I mean is; Earthlings ask the question. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Magic </span>
  </em>
  <span>is usually seen as stuff in movies, and most people don't believe in it. But, then again, most Earthlings don't believe in </span>
  <em>
    <span>us, </span>
  </em>
  <span>the things of their nightmares. I can't say I know what the violinist was thinking, but I can say that he was probably trying to pry something from you. He's a sneaky Soul, Sparkling. That soft demeanor is probably like an angler fishes' bulb; it lures fish in to kill them. Just because he seems kind doesn't mean that he is. No one even knows why he's down here, that man is a total mystery. Think about it; has he ever spoken what killed him, what year he's from, or even what his past life was? We all know our information. I died trying to save Devil, and I followed them here. I wanted to stay with my sibling." Stranger explains, casting a shadowed glance at Sparkling. "... Be wary of him, Sparkling. We don't know who he truly is. And, let me ask you this," Stranger's shadowed gaze burns into Sparkling, their voice serious. "Have you ever taken a good look at their tailcoat? Not from the front, no, but from the back. Sparkling, on the back of his tailcoat there are two things; slits allowing something to slip in and out, and a pattern of feathered wings. Three pairs of wings, to be exact."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sparkling stares at Stranger, mouth and throat dry before rolling his eyes. "You're looking into this too much, Stranger. Not everyone speaks about </span>
  <em>
    <span>why </span>
  </em>
  <span>they died. He's a great violinist, so I can only assume that was his job before coming here. And for his tailcoat, </span>
  <em>
    <span>you </span>
  </em>
  <span>have feathered wings. Don't you think that's a little…" Sparkling's bar spoon taps against his shaker, searching for the word as Stranger groans, catching Sparkling's attention. He looks over, Stranger rubbing their temples in what Sparkling assumed was annoyance.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Okay, so </span>
  <em>
    <span>maybe </span>
  </em>
  <span>it's a stretch. Mint just gives me a feeling that he isn't supposed to be here."  Stranger mutters, leading Sparkling to laugh.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Stranger, the only being here that gives off that vibe is the child he's always with. I've spoken to the kid. The world they described, it doesn't even sound like our world." Sparkling informs, leaning against the bar. "Mint may not have horns, but not everyone here has horns. You, for example, don't have horns. The Apex doesn't have horns, Sea Fairy doesn't have horns—that is, if you don't count that thing growing out of her head a horn." He informs, a hint of a smirk on his face. "Of course, some have horns but they aren't true. Like one of my horns—it's made of gold. It was broken off in a fight so I melted some of my metals down to make it. See? Just because someone doesn't look right or act right doesn't mean that they don't belong down here. Just because he's kind doesn't mean he's malice. I didn't hurt you or Devil, so does that make me suspicious?" </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Stranger was silent, Sparkling clicking his tongue. "You're how old now, Stranger? Sixteen? Seventeen? You haven't been here for as long as I have. Trust me, Mint is the most harmless soul down here—"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>SLAM!</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sparkling jumps, looking wide-eyed at Stranger.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Their hood was now down, countless eyes staring at Sparkling, feathered, rotting wings open wide, the mouths covering his body open, saliva dripping out of them. Sparkling takes a step back, feeling a pair of dice in his pocket just in case. "Are you fucking stupid?!" Stranger snaps, standing quickly as the chair behind them falls. "Don't you see what's happening?! You're being lulled into a false sense of security! And you're doing nothing to stop it! You're just becoming prey for Mint! No one even knows when he came here! At least everyone knows when a new person arrives at the gates and their name, as well as the date they arrive, is written down and—news flash, Sparkling!—Mint isn't on that list!"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The countless eyes stare into Sparkling and he could feel himself becoming nauseous as he steadied himself, trying to keep eye contact with the only two eyes that </span>
  <em>
    <span>should </span>
  </em>
  <span>be on a person. His grip tightens on his dice, roughly swallowing. "Stranger," Sparkling's voice was overly steady as he resists his urge to attack Stranger. "Stand down. This is an order."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>(Paranormal) Stranger - Used to go by Angel, Stranger is covered head-to-toe in mouths and eyes. Those who look at them when they aren't covered up experience waves of nausea, dizziness, and have an immense migraine. Stranger never shows off their wings to anyone besides Devil and Sparkling.</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I won't stand down. You're getting the life sucked out of you and you don't even care. How thick is your skull? Do you understand nothing I'm saying? Mint is—"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"An inhabitant here, as well as my brother. Do you have a problem with that?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p><span>Immediately, Stranger was covered up once more. Sparkling slowly looks to the voice, seeing a dark-skinned male standing tall, a piercing red eye staring directly into Sparkling's dark green orbs. "... You're Mint's brother?" He wearily asks, brow raised. Never once did Mint mention</span> <span>family, but then again, Mint was quite the mystery. The "brother" snorts, walking over but not sitting down. His aura was strong, and Sparkling's eyes were fixed on the medals that adorned his body, and slowly looks back at him before nodding, a sign that he could speak.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>For now, Sparkling pushes the thought away of how he got in the bar.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah. I can tell you what you want to know so you can stop accusing him. He's been through enough. Of course, I'll only tell you what I know he'd be comfortable with. I know my baby brother quite well."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Baby brother?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"So you're older than him?" It seemed like a dumb question to ask, but Sparkling speaks his mind. "That means you must've died first, right?" He asks, but frowns as Mint's older brother shakes his head. "Mint's the baby of the family. Despite this, he was the first one of us siblings to die." </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Can I get your name, please?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Right, a name would be useful. Sparkling sends a silent, "Thank you" to Stranger as the new Lost Soul snorts. "Dark Choco." </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>(Paranormal) Dark Choco - Mint's older brother, Dark Choco usually has one of his eyes closed, but it's said his closed eye holds a cursed jewel. He isn't seen often, but can always be seen at Mint's concerts. Though Dark Choco's person does not have wings, tail, or horns, if you look at his shadow, you can then see them.</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was a quick and simple reply, the new Soul, known as Dark Choco, sighs. "The next question you guys are probably going to ask is, </span>
  <em>
    <span>"how did he die?", </span>
  </em>
  <span>right? Well, I don't exactly have an answer. It was starvation, drugs, or a combination of both. Though, I remember one of my sisters basically betting her entire life that it was murder. Mint wasn't anatomy-savy, so he didn't know where to minister the drugs. A close friend always did it. Because of this, one of them was, and probably still is, adamant that it was murder."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sparkling frowns at that. "Wait, why starvation? Why would he starve himself?" He questions as Dark closes his eyes, slowly opening to reveal the red glare once more.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"That isn't for me to tell you."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They continue talking, Sparkling learning information that the public didn't know.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Mint died at seventeen, a week before his birthday. Violin was actually a hobby, not his job. Mint once had surgery to give him a smaller waist. His insecurities over-weighed the positive attributes. From what Sparkling understood, Mint seemed to be a modern-day teen; moody, insecure, and rebellious.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Though, Mint was no longer seventeen. He didn't know Mint's actual age, seeing as Dark had refused to tell that information, strangely enough. They seemed to be set in modern-day, so that confused Sparkling. With a heavy sigh, Sparkling leans on his bar as his dark green orbs stay on the taller man. "So why is Mint down here, anyway? As far as I know, suicide doesn't get you sent to the Vixen's Cry." He muses, but part of him freezes as he watches Dark's face fall into a shadow, expression one as if he had seen Mint's dead body once more, but if it were as said.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>If he was murdered.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>One of complete anger and partial pain, and Sparkling wasn't sure if he should apologize or change the topic. Before he could reach a decision, the male spoke.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"... Nothing. I have murdered again and again, but I don't believe the reason for him keeping a secret like that would score him here. Maybe a few levels above us, like the Sacrifice Temple, but I don't think that would send him here. Here, only the worst of the worst are. Such as those obsessed with unspeakable things—or worse, acted upon those unspeakable things. It leads me to believe he was wrongly accused. Though, if so, he would have already left by now, taken away by Gate Keepers of these firey pits." Dark murmurs, clearly unhappy with the answer being muddy, even for him. "Mint could never hurt a fly. He was gentle, kind, and would babysit for almost anyone. Most would offer to pay, but having a child's company was the best thing for him. He enjoyed teaching children how to cook, bake, or even play an instrument. He gave piano lessons to children for free. On the outside, Mint was the perfect example of a well-behaved kid, and our parents were praised due to how Mint seemed to have turned out."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Seemed?</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sparkling's silence made Dark look over at him before both of their eyes move to Stranger, who had been silent this entire time. Upon feeling their eyes, they seemed to snort. "So, wrongly accused you say? That still means he doesn't belong here. Little mister goody-to-shoes is gonna end up in a lot of pain at some point." They growl, Dark opening his one eye. "... Not if we let it."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was the last thing he said before raising his hand—and in the few moments, part of Sparkling was fearing he would slap Stranger—but he snapped his fingers and seemingly turned to dust, gone in seconds.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Sparkling bad to admit one thing; his head hurt.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>His thoughts seemed to be going crazy, slowly glancing at the mirror off to the side to see Devil curiously peeking in, and then sending a sharp-toothed smile at Sparkling before dropping a piece of paper and leaving from sight, most likely off to their room. Sparkling didn't waste any time picking up the paper, seeing the contract for the LSRKQ. He places it beside his own invitation before grabbing a contract pen, a special type of pen that uses the blood of the person writing, and signs his name before sealing both pages in the envelope.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"I have no need to fight to show power. I know how strong I am, and I'm far too busy."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"Maybe, just maybe,"</span>
  </em>
  <span> Sparkling thinks to himself as he watches Stranger wave, and say something about seeing Sparkling back at home, Sparkling walks out, eyeing a certain mailboy as he hands the envelope gently to him and walks off to his home, </span>
  <em>
    <span>"Mint will at least watch if I ask him. And maybe, if I'm lucky, he'll show me those powers of his. It seems there's more to him than meets the eye, but… Paranormals only exist here in the Vixen's cry. So if he was wrongly accused then… shouldn't those powers not exist?"</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The question bothered Sparkling more than he wanted to admit, and with the hazy purple fog around, he walks home, his two tails swishing behind him.</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>During writing, instead of saying, "unspeakable actions", I actually wrote down what it was. But not wanting to trigger someone (using the actual definition and not the, "I'M TRIGGERED!!!!!" deal), I changed it to due respect. However, things in the story might get dark if I do choose to expand on certain characters (much like Sparkling and what happened to a character yet to be seen, whom is Carrot), so fair warning there!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter Five</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>This chapter is all over the place. I think I wrote it around 4 AM?<br/>I revised it the best I could, but part of me thinks it's still too crazy.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>1975.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sparkling had been doing this since 1975.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Placing items on the floor, he sits down with a tiger. The tiger holds a small bag of jewelry in its mouth, and Sparkling gently takes it from the tiger.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The day Sparkling saw the injured tiger, he had helped it without thinking much of it. He didn't even know </span>
  <em>
    <span>why </span>
  </em>
  <span>a tiger was in the Vixen's Cry, but he hated seeing the poor thing in pain. Unbeknownst to him, he had just helped someone's companion, and in return for helping, they sent the tiger to gift Sparkling with jewelry.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sparkling loved the jewelry and came up with an idea. He sent a letter, via the tiger, to whoever kept it. The letter read the following;</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"To the owner of the tiger,</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Hello, I hope this finds you well. My name is Sparkling, and I appreciated the gift. You have many beautiful pieces, and I would like to know, would you like to trade? Here, the Vixen's Cry, food, and drinks are quite hard to come by unless you're powerful, have loads of money, or you kill for it. I can gift you free items for the price of jewelry. Of course, it doesn't have to be expensive-looking jewelry, just whatever you wish to give for the price of food. Of course, you can always deny. Whatever makes it easy for you.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Best regards,</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Sparkling A. Brignac"</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sparkling didn't exactly expect the person to agree, and he had even learned their name;</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Tiger Lily.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Died in 1975. Beaten to death.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>What a cruel world.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So the two would trade; food for necklaces, drinks for rings, anything. Though it was dumb, Sparkling was particularly fond of the rubber bracelets, seeing as those didn't exist when he died.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He always did become fascinated by things out of his time of life.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sparkling did a few things with these items, though. After making sure Devil nor Stranger wanted the jewelry, he would gamble it away, most of the time. Of course, he kept the items he liked, but most of it became a prize for gambling. Few times he would give it away to those "not in his family".</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Along with the tiger in his bar, he had what he </span>
  <em>
    <span>called </span>
  </em>
  <span>a child running around his bar, but it was just DJ. Mint was unable to keep an eye on DJ, so Sparkling had been given baby-sitting duty. At first, DJ didn't want to move an inch, but over time, and with lots of water and juice, DJ was soon zipping one way and then the other. The only red flag he noticed was DJ standing near the door that Sparkling kept his victims, their dead, rotting bodies.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They had been sniffing the air around it like some kind of hound, and Sparkling had to drag them away from the door. DJ repeated, however, always following their nose right back to the door. Concerned, Sparkling blocked the area off as a means to get DJ away from the door, and after what seemed to be many hours, DJ stopped trying and returned to running around like the madman they were. Sparkling allowed this, but now watches the tiger trying to follow DJ's movements. From what he could tell, the tiger was starting to get dizzy, causing Sparkling to snap his fingers in front of the tiger to gather its attention. The tiger, realizing it was here, sniffs the items before gently pushing some to itself before Sparkling nods, opening the small pouch he was given. Gently reaching in, he pulls out some of the contents. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>A necklace made of small rocks, another of clear beads of brown colors, one with three blue tassels—but out of all of these, one necklace in particular caught his attention;</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was orange stones with a gold chain. He takes it along with a few others, the same amount of jewelry taken to match the amount of stuff the tiger had. Putting the items in a bag for the tiger, he lets it out as it runs off to the forest, Sparkling watching before sighing out, now turning his attention to the child—</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No! DJ, don't climb that!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Yeah, </span>
  <em>
    <span>child</span>
  </em>
  <span> seemed to be a much better term for DJ.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>DJ was strange. From the things Sparkling had been able to pry from them, DJ was probably more mysterious than Mint, but in… other ways.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>DJ didn't know their time of death, but because, </span>
  <em>
    <span>"mommy and daddy never told me".</span>
  </em>
  <span> DJ didn't know where they lived, the only information Sparkling got was, </span>
  <em>
    <span>" mommy and daddy kept me downstairs. It was always cold.". </span>
  </em>
  <span>Now, Sparkling wasn't an expert, but it seemed as if DJ was cut off from the outside world.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Why, though?</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It seemed as if Sparkling wasn't learning anything about DJ. Defeated, he decided to ask a simple question that even DJ would know the answer to.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"DJ, what's your favorite food?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Eyes are pretty tasty!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Four words that stopped Sparkling in his tracks.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I remember when I first got to my city, my new home. I didn't understand what was going on, but I met these people. I didn't know who they were, but they liked my city! They gave me an eye or two of their own, ripped out of their socket! I was able to see, putting their eye in my empty sockets, it felt nice to have eyes again! Though the magic in the city doesn't seem to stay if I come here, all the magic goes away…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>(Game) Lightless City: In any city, wait until nighttime. Think of how much you hate your enemy. Wander around the city, continuing to think of how much you hate them until you find an alley. Upon laying down and repeating, "Lightless City", you will awaken in the Lightless City. Lightless City is for hate and revenge, you can either take away their sight or kill them (your enemy). If you choose to kill your enemy, you're now living in the Lightless City, you can never leave.</em>
  </b>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sparkling could only stare. Why was this child here? "DJ… why are you here, in the Vixen's Cry? What did you do to be here?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Cannibalism?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It seemed as if DJ was asking if their answer was the correct one. Though, compared to the crimes down here, cannibalism was quite tame...if you didn't kill the person, yourself Sparkling assumed. He hadn't met a cannibal yet, so he assumed that they didn't exist down here. "Then where do you get your food?" Sparkling asks, giving DJ some water. Unexpectedly, a happy, "Minty!" leaves DJ.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So Mint killed—</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Wait.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Is that why you wanted in that closet? You smelt dead bodies?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mhm!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You could have just told me you were hungry, you know." The male grunts, taking DJ's claws and making the body storage area accessible, but left DJ by their lonesome. He didn't want to watch DJ eat a corpse, but that was just him. His attention goes to the jewelry he had abandoned to save DJ from climbing the bar shelves, picking the item up before looking to his phone, sending a text to a certain someone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sparkling just had to ignore DJ for a bit, after that conversation… it made him feel things he didn't want to feel. Mostly cringe-worthy stuff, he couldn't imagine just biting into organs or flesh. "Today isn't about DJ," Sparkling grunts, looking up at the door to his bar. "I have to stop focusing on them. Speaking of them, when is Mint coming to get the little bastard—"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"If you didn't wanna watch DJ, I would have liked to know."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sparkling jolts, sending a glance at Mint, who was standing beside the one Sparkling had texted; Cinnamon. Cinnamon appeared to be confused as Sparkling stumbles over his words, watching Mint's expression. He seemed hurt, but it's clear he was toughing it out. "Don't bother. DJ!"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As if on cue, the minute the name left Mint's mouth, the small child ran at full speed to him, and Mint backed up before DJ could touch him. "Why is DJ covered in blood?" He asks, tracing each inch of DJ's body. Sparkling inhales, seeing as this probably wasn't a good situation. "Well—"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No. I don't wanna hear it."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cinnamon gives Sparkling an expression that reads, </span>
  <em>
    <span>"yikes, man" </span>
  </em>
  <span>as he walks over to the male and sits at the bar. "If I would have known you didn't want to watch DJ, I would have asked someone else. At least I know now."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mint—"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Before Sparkling could try, Mint mutters, "let's get you cleaned up" and walks away with DJ, leaving Sparkling defeated. The closing of a door enters the room as Cinnamon looks at him, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Wow, ~ didn't know you were trusted with that kid." He hums at Sparkling as the blond seemed to growl at him in response. "Anyway, what do you want? I'm quite busy on the run, you know."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>So that's why he smelled of death. He had just killed someone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I wanna gamble. This," Sparkling holds up the necklace with the orange stones. "For that," and, quite simply, Cinnamon laughs as he holds his hand up to his choker. "I want your collar."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Not a collar, Sparkling, </span>
  <em>
    <span>choker."</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Whatever. I want it. Gamble with me."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cinnamon had offered up the collar, or so Sparkling called it, before. However, he had denied it. Now, though? He did want it. He didn't want it for himself, but he wanted it. "Well, if I would have known, I would have brought Princess along to make sure no cheating happens."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Cinnamon's fangs point out behind his lips. Sparkling's gaze darkens on the man before it goes out the window, his expression softening. "No need. Neither of us chest. We just use…"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Sparkling pulls out a card from his jeans, slashing it across the side of his pointed finger, blood dripping down from it. The action made a smile one could only deem full of malice intent dance onto Sparkling's face.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"... Other methods of power. Let the gambling begin."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <b>
    <em>(Game) The Gambler's Game: A game you play with a spirit using a deck of cards. You can win in two ways; either by gaining luck or just not being killed. You know you have the luck when you cut your finger with a card and it bleeds.</em>
  </b>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This is the last chapter I have written. I would love to hear feedback from you guys about it. I do really want to continue the story, I already have a sheet full of characters' information (I.e. what games they are, how they died, when they died, etc.) and the entire story line. I do have high hopes, but in my own opinion, a story isn't worth continuing if no one likes it. So, if you can/want to, I would love to know your opinions on the story. Tell me what you think I could be doing better with and what you believe should change.</p><p>Thank you all for reading, and I do hope to continue the story. I'll see you soon, maybe?</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hello! Thank you so much for reading, if I can have a few more moments of your time, it'd be great!;</p><p>1. No, this wasn't inspired by Hazbin Hotel. I know, it's set in Hell, demons are being killed, but the idea didn't come from watching it. I promise you that.</p><p>2. I have five chapters lined up, but depending on how many people like it will depend on how long this story is.</p><p>3. Each character here has their own story and own reason why they're down here. Devil isn't down here because, "they're a devil", seeing as their sibling, Angel, is also in the Vixen's Cry. This will be explained later on, and so will how they died and why they are down here.</p><p>If you liked the story, please share it! It gives me the motivation to write more and shows that people are interested in seeing what will happen.</p><p>I hope you have a lovely day/afternoon/night! ✨</p></blockquote></div></div>
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